Blue Jays Have Key Concern Coming Out of Spring Training

What is a key concern for the Toronto Blue Jays coming out of spring training?

Nov 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A detailed view of a Toronto Blue Jays hat in the sixth inning for game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

With Opening Day set to start for the Toronto Blue Jays soon, the team is a bit banged up heading into the 2026 campaign. 

Following a great season in 2025, the Blue Jays came into the winter on a mission to improve. This was a team that was extremely active over the offseason, trying to get better, and there were some notable moves. 

Starting at the trade deadline, Toronto was focused on improving its starting rotation. This was an area that was a bit of an issue for them throughout the year, and depth was an issue. 

Over the winter, this was a key area they sought to improve, especially after facing the loaded starting rotation of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Toronto was able to sign Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and Max Scherzer. While it did appear like they had a surplus of pitching, the rotation has now been hit hard by the injury bug.

MLB contributors recently wrote about the biggest takeaways from camp for all of the teams in the majors, and for the Blue Jays, it was that no amount of pitching is ever enough. 

Rotation Rightfully a Slight Concern

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Shane Bieber | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

While there is a surplus of options for Toronto, they have multiple pitchers dealing with injury concerns now. Currently, pitchers that are injured for the team are Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, Jose Berrios, and Bowden Francis. Of the four pitchers hurt, the two most concerning injuries are the ones to Berrios and Francis. 

With those four pitchers hurt, the current rotation looks like Kevin Gausman, Cease, Scherzer, Lauer, and Ponce. Even with a plethora of injuries, there is still a good amount of talent on this staff. 

Adding Cease was the big addition, and he is going to be under a lot of pressure to perform well. The right-hander didn’t have the best year statistically in 2025, but he is one of the best pitchers in the league at making hitters swing and miss. Furthermore, he has also had some impressive years in the past. 

With the American League East being such a challenge, health is going to be of paramount importance over the course of a long season. Starting pitching is clearly an area that the team hoped to improve, and they appeared to do a good job on paper. Unfortunately, injuries always happen, and then the old saying that there is no such thing as too much pitching is a very true statement.